Connection capacity is the capacity for which a connection to the electricity or gas grid has been built. It determines the tariff the connected party pays and forms the technical ceiling for what can be drawn or fed in.
Legal basis
The Energy Act obliges the grid operator to connect anyone who requests it and, within the limits of available capacity, to provide transport. Tariffs for connection and transport are set on the basis of tariff structures and method decisions approved by the Authority for Consumers and Markets. The distinction between connection capacity, which follows from the physical connection, and contracted transport capacity, agreed in the transport contract, is important. Contracted capacity can be reduced, but reducing connection capacity triggers a return arrangement: anyone wishing to scale up again within a defined period rejoins the back of the queue.
How it works in practice
Many businesses pay for years for capacity they do not use. An analysis of actual peak load can produce a lower tariff. At the same time caution is warranted: in a congestion area, capacity given back is virtually impossible to recover, particularly where electrification or expansion is planned. For new build and sustainability projects it pays to size the connection generously before the area fills up.
Where it goes wrong
Capacity is reduced without mapping multi-year energy needs. A second error is confusing connection and transport capacity in negotiations with the grid operator. Third, on relocation or acquisition the connection is not transferred into the right name in time, leading to disputes about outstanding tariffs.
Related terms
Connection capacity connects to the connection and transport agreement, to grid congestion and to congestion management.
Unsure whether to scale up or down? Our energy law specialists assess the contract and the risk.
